News & Events

Tall Ship El Galeón Andalucia U.S Virgin Island Tour Tickets Available Until Sunday March 5th
March 3, 2017: Due to growing popular demand the El Galeón will be staying at the Yacht Haven Grande for a few more days until Sunday March 5, 2017. More than several hundred students, teachers, and parents have visited this full-size reconstructed Spanish sailing vessel used in the 16 to 18th Century. The sailing ship made a stop in the U.S. Virgin Islands on its journey from Puerto Rico to the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. East Coast, Canada and back to Spain.

El Galeón is a 500-ton, 160-foot long vessel with a 32-foot beam. Its four masts hold six sails that measure nearly 11,000 square feet. Commissioned by the Nao Victoria Foundation and launched in 2009, the “living history” ship was converted into a floating museum, with five of the vessel’s six decks available for tours. Features include an exhibit on “San Pelayo,” the Spanish galleon that was instrumental in the founding of St. Augustine, the first city established by European settlers in what is now the state of Florida. The vessel carries an all-Spanish crew that lives and breathes the history of the ship and its travels from port to port and in the open sea.

A neat note students may be interested to learn: the official site for El Galeón (www.elgaleon.org) tells that Spanish Galleons were frequently bought and sold by Spanish and English governments during the 1600s, and often taken over and converted into Pirate ships in the rough Caribbean Sea waters.

Tour information:

El Galeón is open to visitors daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Ticket price: $10 adult: $5 students ages 12 to 17 (with valid school ID); $5 children under 12; free for children under 5
Advance tickets are available here online or at the entrance of the vessel on the Yacht Haven Grande waterfront.
More History:

Many Spanish expeditions were sent to survey the American coasts in the 16th century. These explorations were soon followed by numerous expeditions for trade and for populating the newly discovered areas. More and more supplies and equipment were delivered to the New World. In time, the ships that were used for exploration were insufficient for the increasing volume of traffic between Spain and America, and it became necessary to design and build a new type of ship with more cargo capacity, defense capabilities and better maneuverability. It was during this period that Spanish galleons arose. It was the captains of the Spanish navy, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and Álvaro de Bazán, who designed the definitive long and relatively narrow hulled galleon for Spain in the 1550s.

Sponsors: We thank the Nao Victoria Foundation and the El Galeón's crew of seasoned Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) and maritime professionals for hosting many visitors. The Ship's Sponsors in the Virgin Islands are the Nao Victoria Foundation, the Yacht Haven Grande, Subbase Drydock, Inc., the Virgin Islands Centennial Transfer Commission, the Department of Tourism, the Prior Family Foundation, and the Virgin Islands Centennial Foundation, Inc. The El Galeón is a wonderful opportunity for visitors to the territory and local residents to experience a unique blend of history, culture and maritime lore.
The 340 Group, LLC is providing Planning & Logistics Support to assist the EL GALEÓN ANDALUCÍA & Crew while it is docked in Charlotte Amalie. Part of their planning include coordinating events, to what will be, the first major international visitor and a marketing attraction event for the VI Centennial Transfer Commission and the Department of Tourism-- to commemorate the 100th (10 Karat Diamond) Anniversary of the Transfer from the Kingdom of Denmark to the United States of America.